Door latch



June 27, 1939. G. H. MURRIN 2,163,957

DOOR LATCH Filed April 4, 1938 [nr/anion Gahlbeth H Muzrn By 2 i i M i Hi i orne'y.

Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED STATE-s Doon LA'rcH Gahlbeth H. Murrin, Pasadena, C'alif., assigner to Adolf Baumgarten, Pasadena, Calif.

Application April 4, 1938, Serial No. 199,908

Claims.

This invention relates generally to closures, and more particularly to latching devices therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide a surface latch particularly adapted, although not necessarily, for heavy doors such as are employed on commercial type refrigerators, Ythe latch being characterized by inexpensive and durable construction employing a minimum number of working parts by which smooth and easy operation of the latch can be eifected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch of the above described character which includes a bolt operating handle capable of being mounted in any one of a plurality of different operating positions to extend from the latch casing in dierent directions so that the casing is rendered adaptable to right andv left hand doors.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch wherein the latch bolt and operating handle are operatively associated by an element which is adapted for various directional applications of the face of an operating member in such manner that ease and smoothness of operation are attained inexpensively. I

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of elements as set forth in the i01- lowing specication and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a View of the latch in front elevation and applied to a door;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the latch in latching position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with the latch in non-latching position;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 4 4, 5 5 and 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a View of the latch casing in rear elevation, with the operating handle removed, and part of the mechanism broken away;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the casing cover and directional adapting element embodied in the latch.

Referring specically to the drawing, the invention comprises a casing C having a bolt receiving opening IIJ at one end, and an open back adapted to be closed by a cover II. A latch bolt I2 is provided with spaced and alined sleeves I3-I3 through which freely extends a pin I4, the ends of which seat in openings I5-I5 in the side walls Iii- I6 of the casing, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

rIhe cover I I is in the form of a flat plate seating in a recess I 1 in the casing C so as to be flush with the back thereof, and is provided with` 5 spaced ears I8-I8 having forwardly opening slots I9-I9 (Figure 8) receiving reduced portions --20 of the pin I4, to confine the latter against axial displacement and maintain the bolt centered in the opening I0. A flat headed 10 screw 2| threaded into the casing C and passing through the cover as shown in Figure 2, co-acts with the ears I8 in securing the cover to the casing. `A coil spring 22, surrounding the pin I4 between the sleeves I3, has its ends respectivelyl engaging the cover Il and an arm 23 on the bolt I2, so as to normally urge the bolt to the latching position shown in Figure 2, for latching co-action with a keeper 24, when the casing and keeper are secured to a door D and jamb J, respectively, asf20 shown in the drawing.

The front wall 25 of the casing C is provided with a square opening 26 adapted to freely receive in any one of the three positions shown at a, b, and c in Figure 1, the square butt 21 of air-,25 operating handle 28, thebutt being provided with alined trunnions 29-29 adapted to seat in any one ofthe three-pairs of half bearings ,33, SI and 32 (Figure 7) to mount the handle for rocking movement about the axis of the trunnions. A coil,30 spring33 mounted at onerend on a pin 34 projecting from the cover I I, and seatingat its other end in a pocket 35 in the handle butt 2'I, normally urges the handle to the position shown in Figure V6, wherein a toe 3S projecting from the 35 butt, engages the front wall 25.

It will be clear that the square opening 26 and square butt 21 co-act to guide the handle against lateral tilting so as to conne the handle to pivotal movement about the axis of the trunnions 29, and that this structure enables the position of the handle to be varied to compensate for right or left hand doors, or to enable the handle to be disposed in the horizontal position b.

The latch bolt I2 and the handle 28 are op- 45 eratively associated by means of a directional adapting element 31 in the form of a rectangular plate, one end of which is provided with a sleeve 38 pivotally mounted on a pin 39 supported in a bracket 4U on the cover I I, so as to mount the 50 element for pivotal movement about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the bolt pivot pin I4 and at a right angle to the axis of the trunnions 29 as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The element 3l is interposed between the butt 55 21 and the arm 23 cf the latch bolt l2, and has a rounded extremity 4| which engages the correspondingly rounded extremity 42 of the arm 23, and a corner of the butt 21 when the bolt occupies its latching position shown in Figure 2. The element 31 is provided with an opening 43 through which the spring 33 freely extends so as not to interfere with the pivotal movements of the element, in the operation of the latch which is as follows:

Let it be assumed that the latch is applied to the door D as shown in the drawing, and that the door is latched closed by the bolt I2. To open the door, the handle 28 is grasped and pulled outwardly, which movement causes the butt 21 to wipe across the element 31 in a camming action so as to move the element about the pin 39 in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2. During this movement of the element 31, its free rounded extremity 4l wipes across the arm 23 of the bolt so as to move the latter to the non-latching position shown in Figure 3, and thus free the door for opening movement. It will be noted that the outer end of one of the trunnions 29 acts as a stop to definitely determine the non-latching position of the bolt, wherein the outer face of the bolt is iiush with the end wall of the casing C.

The element 31 co-acts with the handle 28 and the bolt l2 to so increase the leverage therebetween that manual operation of the latch by the handle can be eiected with extreme ease and smoothness, yet permit the door to be securely latched closed upon merely pushing against the door suiciently for the bolt to be retracted by the keeper 24. It will also be noted that in any intermediate position of the bolt during its retraction by the keeper 24 that the spring 33 maintains the handle secure against rattling, and that in any one of its three positions a, b and o as shown in Figure l, the butt of the handle will act with equal effectiveness against the element 31 to easily and smoothly move the bolt to nonlatching position upon manual actuation of the handle.

What is claimed is:

1. A latch comprising a casing. having a bolt receiving opening and an open back; a bolt; means mounting the bolt in the casing for pivotal movement through said opening; a cover closing the back of the casing; means on the cover coacting with said mounting means to secure the cover to the casing and to prevent displacement of the mounting means; and manually operable actuating means mounted in the casing and operatively associated with the bolt.

2. A latch comprising a casing having a bolt receiving opening and an open back; a bolt; a pin supported in the casing and on which said bolt is mounted for pivotal movement through said opening; a cover closing the back of the casing; means on the cover co-acting with said pin to prevent axial displacement of the pin; and manually operable actuating means mounted in the casing and operatively associated with the bolt.

3. A latch comprising a casing having a bolt receiving opening and an open back; a bolt; a pin supported in the casing and on which said bolt is mounted for pivotal movement through said opening; the pin having diametrically reduced portions; a cover closing the back of the casing and having slotted ears receiving said reduced portions of the pin to prevent axial displacement of the pin; and manually operable actuating means mounted in the casing and operatively associated with the bolt.

4. A latch comprising a casing having a bolt receiving opening and an open back; a bolt; a pin supported in the casing and on which said bolt is mounted for pivotal movement through said opening; the pin having diametrically reduced portions; a cover closing said back of the casing and having slotted ears receiving said reduced portions of the pin to prevent axial displacement of the pin; means co-acting with said ears to secure the cover to the casing; and manually operable actuating means mounted in the casing and operatively associated with the bolt.

5. A latch comprising a casing having a bolt receiving opening and an open back; a bolt; a pin supported in the casing and on which said bolt is mounted for pivotal movement through said opening; the pin having diametrically reduced portions; a cover closing the back of the casing and having slotted ears receiving said reduced portions of the pin to prevent axial displacement of the pin; and manually operable actuating means mounted in the casing and operatively associated with the bolt, the ears co-acting with the pivoted portion of the bolt in maintaining the sides of the bolt out of contact with the walls of said opening.

GAHLBETH H. MURRIN. 

